"Double Time" Sequel to "Stepping Time" (Highly recommend you read Stepping Time before starting this sequel but including a brief synopsis of where Stepping Time ended below chapter one)

The main characters of Law and Order SVU belong to Dick Wolf and NBC Universal. This is meant for entertainment, not profit.* There are several characters I have created. I hope you enjoy, and I welcome feedback.

Author's Note #1 (Especially for laurelhardy) Characters guide-Primary SVU Characters Olivia Benson, Alex Cabot Primary Original Female Characters Army Lt. Col. Erin Mathison, Attorney Angie Secondary SVU and L&O Characters Elliot Stabler, Casey Novak, Abbie Carmichael, Serena Southerlyn Secondary Original Characters Jeff Stockton, Amelia Stockton, Dylan Mathison, Petraeus (Erin's Chihuahua), Senator Rushing, TJ McCoy

"Double Time" Chapter 46

"Would be fun," Erin said still contemplating after a moment's pause. "But…but can I ask when you came up with this idea?"

"Just a few days ago. And it's not like we couldn't all do a different cruise or vacation together. Alex mentioned that they were planning to go somewhere around the timeframe of our honeymoon," Olivia said and then hurriedly took another sip of her coffee.

"So I take it an all-women cruise around Alaska in early fall sounded quite appealing to Alex and Angie?" Erin questioned with a smirk. "How about Abs and Serena?"

"I didn't screw up that bad," Olivia said grinning at Erin. "I only let this idea slip from my inner thoughts in front of Alex, who by the way told me I shouldn't tell you that. Alex is just still immersed in that Grafton case and we got to talking about vacations."

"Did you already check cabin space, because when I checked for dad to get ours there wasn't much left?" Erin asked and Olivia shook her head no.

"I would like to call Jeff and Casey first. I know we haven't figured out all our ceremony stuff yet, but I wouldn't want either of them to feel slighted. Jeff is about the most supportive straight guy ever, but I doubt he would want Casey to spend a good chunk of her vacation time on a separate trip right after they get married."

"I totally understand, and I doubt Casey would want to go on a vacation without her partner, but with three other couples," Olivia said. "Maybe we should just plan another time so Jeff and Casey can go too."

"Actually I think as long as Jeff and Casey are okay with it, I think we should invite and pay for the fantastic foursome to come with us. Besides being fun and a well-deserved break for us all, it would be a nice thank you for all they have done for us," Erin said sincerely.

"I don't deserve you," Olivia smiled and then leaned in for a quick kiss.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Erin chuckled. "Easy to say when I agree with your ideas. Let's go home and I'll call while you look to see if there are still cabins available. And I do draw the line there. No slumber parties in our suite."

"Another thing we agree on," Olivia added as they walked to the register to pay the bill.

#-#

"Steak, everything is excellent," Olivia said in between bites.

"Thanks," Serena smiled. "It's great having both of you over."

"Maybe we can alternate weeks and try to do this one night a week once I get down here?" Olivia smiled.

"What's the longest amount of consecutive vacay time you've taken Liv?" Abbie asked curiously.

"Eights days, which included a weekend. Flew to LA and drove up the California coast. Wasn't a bad trip," Olivia replied almost immediately.

"It sounds like it would have been great, so why just not a bad trip?" Serena asked curiously. "Bad company?"

Olivia hesitated, taking a sip of her wine before answering. "I went alone. It was shortly after Alex was shot. Captain Cragen thought Alex was dead and he also thought I needed a break. And he was right."

Erin wrapped her arm around Olivia's back and looked across the table at Abbie and Serena. "So when did you two find out that Alex had been in witness protection?"

"Not till the morning after she arrived in New York for Connor's trial," Serena said solemnly. "I called Abbie when I found out."

"You two weren't together then though?" Erin questioned.

"No, not even close," Serena replied quickly.

"Oh thanks babe," Abbie laughed. "You make that sound like you couldn't even stand the sound of my voice then."

"I always liked the sound of your voice, just took a 'lil while for the words to grow on me," Serena grinned. "Maybe we should invite Branch and McCoy to our wedding. What a group picture that would be, us with them and Alex and Angie and you two."

"Let's save that group picture for when Alex becomes DA," Abbie smiled. "We need to get the gang all together again soon."

"We do, but we also we need to get together later and Liv came up with an idea," Erin said squeezing her girlfriend's leg.

"We talked to Alex and Angie just before we came over and they're in pending vacation time approval, which shouldn't be a problem. We want to take you all with us on our cruise through Alaska. Departs from Vancouver, September 25th and returns October 2nd."

"We cover your cabin and airfare," Erin added hopefully.

"You want us to go on your honeymoon cruise?" Serena probed.

"Makes us kinda lame for just having y' all as attendants at our wedding," Abbie snickered.

"Shut up Abbie. We're honored to be part of your wedding party and that you two will be part of ours," Erin said sincerely.

"And we would like us all together in celebration and fun rather than around helicopter crashes, funerals, and shootings," Olivia smiled. "Despite some terrifying and really tough and trying days this last year has been the best of my life because of Erin and our friendships."

"You don't have to answer right this moment, but we would need to know soon as there aren't many cabins left," Erin added as Serena whispered to Abbie.

"As long as we can get the vacation days then we're in," Serena smiled. "But you really don't need to cover our costs."

"We want to, so please let us," Erin said sincerely.

"Besides we're only covering room and airfare, not Abbie's bar bills," Olivia smirked.

#-#

Olivia pressed a last kiss to her lover's core and then slid up to the head of the bed. Erin rolled on her side and snuggled into Olivia, resting her head on her chest as her fingers traced over her abdomen.

"You're so beautiful Erin."

"You make me feel that way the way you love me," Erin smiled as she captured Olivia's lips with her own. "I'm happier than I've ever been and more than I could've imagined."

"I am too. I loved you all doing the promotion ceremony this morning," Olivia said as her fingers stroked and twirled locks of Erin's dark hair.

"You've said that a few times," Erin smirked. "But I am so glad you liked it."

"I can't wait till my leave starts. I'm liking DC and I love being with you."

"So no second thoughts at all?" Erin asked softly.

"No baby. I want to spoil you and us. I want and I think I need this break," Olivia said as Erin tilted her head up to make eye contact. "Why would you think I might be…?"

"I was just thinking about what you said at Abbie and Serena's that the longest you've been away from the job is eight days."

"In retrospect, I probably should have taken more blocks of time, would have probably done me some good, but I mostly just took a day or two here and there. I still love my job Erin, but I love you more."

Erin sat up and propped her pillows against the headboard. "You've been at it for a long time…I've already started thinking about my retirement and of course the many positives with it, but I know it is going to be odd not putting that uniform anymore, not answering that I'm a soldier when asked."

"You'll always be a soldier Erin," Olivia started and then pressed a finger gently to Erin's lips when she saw her facial expression change. "But I think I can understand a bit that it will be a huge transition for you to make even though you want it. I'm fortunate to be able to take the leave to see how I might like civilian life without turning in my shield for good."

"And if you don't want to go back after your leave…"

"I don't think that's how I will want to put an end to my career, but I have been tossing around in my head a little about maybe putting in my retirement paperwork so I can retire a month or so after you. So basically go back for six months after my leave."

"Whatever would we do with all that time together?" Erin smirked as she brought her lips to Olivia's.

"I'm sure we will think of a thing or two. And a third thing I would like to do is go on a road trip."

"Like a just pack up the car and go type road trip?" Erin asked as she slid out of bed and headed towards the kitchen. "Beer and snacks?" she added and Olivia nodded in agreement.

"Pretzels please," Olivia called. "And yes I want to take a month or six weeks after we retire and before we start our next ventures, just driving and seeing some of the country."

"Not many pretzels left. Chips and salsa," Erin said as she strode back into the bedroom and felt Olivia's admiring gaze on her nude form. "Like what you see?" Erin smirked confidently. "So tell me more about our road trip."

"I think we should rent a mini-RV so we can just pull over and fuck whenever we want to," Olivia laughed.

"We may not get very far," Erin chuckled as she handed Olivia a beer and bag of pretzels and sat alongside her on the bed.

"Certainly not if you are walking around in it like this," Olivia husked as she ran her fingertips along the inside of Erin's bare thigh. "Your body is divine."

"And completely yours again…after some beer and chips," Erin smirked pressing a kiss to Olivia's cheek. "Eat your pretzels and tell me where you want to go on this road trip."

"Well basically I've seen a good portion of the east coast, California and our few days in Texas, so that leaves a lot of options."

"And our honeymoon is Alaska which was my top pick, so road trip should be yours."

"Fly to Denver and drive through the Rockies and then up through Oregon and Washington," Olivia said without hesitation. "When I drove through California I wished that I had four more days to continue on up the coast."

"Perfect. There's a lot out that way I haven't seen either. Was California where you and Alex wanted to go together sometime?"

"No…I mean I'm sure it would have been a fun trip, but we had never planned to go before she was shot. I needed to get away and I had wanted to see California so it just seemed like the right place to go."

"Was it?" Erin questioned. "I mean I probably should have done something like that after I got back from Iraq…I drank way too much in those first weeks after I returned."

"You were mourning Sheila and you pulled out of it."

"More like Jeff kicked me in the ass several times."

"As you know, I didn't really let anybody in back then…and even if I had I couldn't have revealed that Alex was alive. Sure Elliot knew she was alive, but he didn't know the extent of my feelings for Alex. I purposely took a trip where I had to drive."

"I'm really glad Jeff pulled me out. I was an angry, self-pitying mess."

"I'm glad he was there for you, but you ultimately pulled yourself out of it," Olivia said placing a kiss on Erin's shoulder. "I threw my share of drinks down when I stopped driving each night. And anytime I stopped for gas or whatever I'd look around and hope by some astronomical chance that I had not only stopped in the town that Alex was sent to, but that she would also magically be at the same gas station at the same time as me," Olivia smirked. "Crazy huh?"

"Not at all," Erin said earnestly. "Did you ever give up hope?"

Olivia shook her head tentatively. "I'm not sure what you mean. Hope of finding Alex? I mean I was hoping to run into her by some fluke, but I knew I couldn't try and find her. There was no way I was going to put her in further danger, just because I hadn't told her how I felt about her before she was shot."

"That must've been hell for both of you," Erin sighed

"Nah," Olivia shrugged her shoulders and smiled, "Alex became a pothead in Wisconsin. Not really, but she did some toking. I think Alex could have a bestseller if she chose to write a book on her experience. Like I told you though, she hadn't ever really shared with me what it was like until after you deployed."

Erin took a long drink of her beer staring ahead almost blankly. Olivia nuzzled into Erin's shoulder and laced their fingers on the colonel's thigh. "What's going on in that beautiful mind of yours?" Olivia asked softly.

"Sorry," Erin blurted, pressing a kiss to the top of Olivia's head.

"No need to be sorry…just tell me what you're thinking."

"I'm thinking that I think too much sometimes…almost all the time," Erin chuckled a bit apprehensively. "But more specifically I'm thinking about how quickly I fell in love with you and once again…all we've been through to get here. I'm happy for us that along with our wedding we are planning vacations, decorating this apartment together, and planning for nothing at all. It's been a hurry up and wait. Double time to one place and then back to another, trying to savor moments and then count the days to more," Erin said, squeezing Olivia's hand. "And I'm really grateful that Alex and Angie have what they have."

"Thank God you didn't tell me to fuck off that first time you met Alex at Humphrey's," Olivia sighed.

"I believe I said fuck you," Erin smirked.

"Which I well deserved."

"You did," Erin smiled pressing a kiss to Olivia's lips.

"Wouldn't have believed that night that you would agree to marry me less than a year later," Olivia grinned.

"I was already a bit whipped and like I told you I trusted my instincts. And it didn't hurt having Casey in your corner as a character witness. But I would have never guessed that night that I would be happily inviting Alex to join us on our honeymoon," Erin laughed.

"Pretty crazy first year. I'm hoping for a few less adventures in this second year, but regardless you're stuck with me."

"Well," Erin husked as she set her now empty beer on the nightstand and straddled Olivia, "I certainly don't think we need any pre-marital counseling on dealing with stress. I'm confident we have been battled test and can get through anything…except maybe lesbian bed death," Erin smirked.

"Should I be concerned that you needed a break for beer and chips?" Olivia asked with a sly smile.

"Not at all. Now shut up and kiss me," Erin smiled as she pressed her core to Olivia's and leaned forward.

"Always Erin, always," Olivia whispered as their lips met.

#-#

Epilogue to come. Thank you all for your support and comments along the way. My apologies once again for the numerous delays between posting chapters. Wishing you all a happy and healthy 2012!